Brightspeed expands Ohio footprint with Cincinnati Communications’ fiber acquisition
FTTH M&A is picking up
As service providers seek to scale their fiber footprints, a growing number are complementing their builds by acquiring other providers. This includes a mix of Tier 1 and Tier 2 providers.
Leading the Tier 1 charge of fiber and broadband consolidation are AT&T, Verizon and Charter:
- AT&T sets path to reach 60M fiber locations by 2030 with Lumen fiber business acquisition
- Verizon snaps up Frontier for $20B in bid to bolster fiber broadband base
- Charter and Cox $34B merger creates a broadband and business service powerhouse
No less compelling are ongoing deals being made by regional Tier 2 and competitive fiber providers:
- Ezee Fiber’s Conterra asset acquisition fuels $250M New Mexico investment plan
- Ezee Fiber’s Tachus Fiber Internet acquisition to scale combined fiber passings to 600K
- Greenlight bolsters Pennsylvania reach with Loop Internet acquisition
- Hillary Communications snaps up TDS Telecom’s Oklahoma properties
- IdeaTek Telcom gets cash infusion from Oak Hill Capital and Pamlico Capital to enhance fiber reach
Brightspeed is expanding its network once again, acquiring fiber assets from Cincinnati Communications.
As part of the deal, the service provider will gain 235 miles of fiber in the suburban Cincinnati area.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
What’s compelling about the deal is that the fiber miles are adjacent to Brightspeed fiber network builds currently underway in Ohio and eastern Indiana. This acquisition will enable Brightspeed to expand its network to an additional 69,500 locations.
Manny Sampedro, COO of Brightspeed, said the assets "complement our current fiber network build plan, filling in gaps that help us extend our network.”
“We've already enabled more than 200,000 homes and businesses in Ohio, and this bold investment not only adds tens of thousands more connection opportunities in the Cincinnati area but also allows us to connect people even faster than starting the build from scratch,” he said.
Deepening Ohio presence
Ohio has been one of Brightspeed’s many network growth targets.
Brightspeed’s Fiber Internet service is already available to more than 200,000 homes and businesses in the Buckeye State.
The company continues construction of its fiber internet network in and around the state, recently announcing updates to its fiber network builds in the communities of Lima and Warren, Ohio.
Cincinnati Communications’ fiber assets also have the benefit of being located close to other builds Brightspeed is conducting. The acquired assets are located just 11 miles south of Brightspeed's strategic build in Mason, Ohio, and 12 miles east of its Lawrenceburg, Indiana, project, creating an opportunity to expand the provider’s fiber broadband network and reach more customers in the region.
Rural expansion commitment
While the Cincinnati market is ripe for Brightspeed to target, the service provider is equally committed to expanding its network in rural parts of Ohio.
Brightspeed has been awarded grants and subsidies in Ohio to bring service to rural communities.
To date, Brightspeed has been awarded $13.8 million in funding from the Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant (ORBEG) program funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, the Broadband Expansion Authority, and BroadbandOhio to extend its planned fiber network build by more than 8,300 miles across the company's footprint in the state.
When Brightspeed's fiber build is complete, and with the addition of grants and these newly acquired fiber assets, Brightspeed's network will reach a total of more than 420,000 fiber-enabled locations across its Ohio footprint.
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About the Author
Sean BuckleySean Buckley
Sean is the Editor-in-Chief of Lightwave. He establishes and executes Lightwave's editorial strategy across its website, email newsletters, events, and other information products. Before coming to Lightwave in July 2023, he served as editor of Broadband Communities. Earlier, he served as senior editor of FierceTelecom and the editor of the former Telecommunications Magazine. He got his start in the optical industry in 1998 when he became the editor of enterprise and optical networks at Information Gatekeepers. He has a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and lives in Dracut, Mass, with his wife, two sons, and his cat, Dove.
